Navigating the ACIP public comment process

Pharmacists, student pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians are on the front lines of immunization delivery, serving as the most accessible health care professionals in your communities. When participating in the ACIP public comment process, you bring essential real‑world experience to national vaccine policy discussions, ensuring recommendations reflect patient needs, practice realities, and equity considerations. Engaging with ACIP is a critical advocacy opportunity to protect and expand pharmacists' and pharmacy personnel's vaccine authority, strengthen vaccine access, and elevate the pharmacy profession’s role in public health decision making.

Guidance:

• Meetings are announced via the Federal Register, usually 14 days prior to the scheduled date.

• Any member of the public can submit written comments or sign up for the oral comment lottery.

How to request to make an oral public comment

• Timing: Deadline to request is usually a few days prior to the meeting. Late requests are not accepted.*
• Submission process:
  • Visit ACIP Meeting Public Comment | Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices | CDC
  • Follow the instructions provided for submitting a request to speak.
  • Include your name and contact information.
• Selection process:
  • If more people request to speak than time allows, CDC conducts a lottery to select speakers.
  • Selected individuals will be notified by email.
• Speaking guidelines:
  • Each speaker is limited to 3 minutes.
  • Each person may speak only once per meeting.

How to submit written public comments

1. Go to Regulations.gov
   • This is the Federal eRulemaking Portal.
2. Type in Docket No. listed on ACIP website. 
3. Deadline
   • Comment period ends at 11:59 pm ET a few days prior to the meeting.* 
4. Comment submission options
   • Type your comment in the comment box (max 5,000 characters). 
   • Upload a file (valid file types include: mp, docx, gif, jpg, jpeg, pdf, png, pptx, rtf, sgml, tif, tiff, txt, wpd, xlsx, xml).
5. Privacy
   • Do not include any personal information
   • All comments received will be posted without change to Regulations.gov 
6. Access background documents
   • You can view the docket, background materials, and submitted comments here. 

*Specific dates will be posted on ACIP website and the Federal Register meeting notice.

If you have questions about pertinent comments for pharmacists and pharmacy personnel or need guidance on participating in the ACIP public comment process, APhA is here to help. Contact Allison Hill, Director, Professional Affairs, at ahill@aphanet.org for support, resources, and expert insight to ensure your voice is heard.